Elena Rybakina outclassed two-time champion Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4 at Flushing Meadows to reach the U.S. Open quarter-finals and move within one win of the world top ranking.
Second seed Elena Rybakina cleared a major hurdle in her quest for a third Grand Slam title, dismantling former champion Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4 in the fourth round of the U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows on Monday.
The Kazakh star raced through a dominant 22-minute opening set at Louis Armstrong Stadium, converting two of her three break-point opportunities before wrapping it up with a booming serve.
Osaka, the 13th seed who arrived in a fur-collared overcoat featuring oversized signage and a city scene portrait, put up stronger resistance in the second set. Despite clutching her left leg at 2-2 due to an Achilles niggle from the third round, the 28-year-old saved a break point to stay in contention.
However, Rybakina sustained relentless pressure with deep groundstrokes and secured the decisive break in the seventh game when Osaka hit a forehand into the net, closing out the match in 66 minutes.
The flawless victory leaves the 2022 Wimbledon and 2026 Australian Open champion just one win away from reaching world number one for the first time. She will next face Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in the last eight.
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Sport. Photo courtesy The Hindu Sport.